Drought Information Statement for Central Pennsylvania 
Valid July 3, 2026
Issued by: National Weather Service State College
The next update to this Drought Information Statement will be issued by July 17, 2026.

Much of Central Pennsylvania has been drier than average over the past 30 days, and long-term deficits persist across the south-central Pennsylvania.

The Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal drought outlook calls for existing drought conditions across south-central Pennsylvania to persist through the remainder of this Summer and into the early Fall.

U.S. Drought Monitor Drought Intensity and Extent for Central Pennsylvania:
D2 (Severe Drought): Franklin, Adams, York, Lancaster
D1 (Moderate Drought): Fulton,  Huntingdon, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon
D0 (Abnormally Dry): Bedford, Perry, Juniata, Schuylkill

One-Week Drought Monitor Class Change:
There were only minor changes to the drought monitor over the past week.

Hydrologic Impacts:
Much of Central Pennsylvania has been relatively dry over the past 30 days, and long-term deficits persist across south-central Pennsylvania.

Agricultural Impacts:
0 to 100 centimeter soil moisture continues to be well below average across the Lower Susquehanna and Cumberland valleys of south-central Pennsylvania. Elsewhere, soil moisture is generally not far from average for this time of year.

Fire Hazard Impacts:
The significant wildfire potential outlook remains near average across Pennsylvania for July 2026.

Other Impacts:
There are no countywide burn bans in effect across Central Pennsylvania.

Mitigation Actions:
There are both voluntary and mandatory water restrictions in place for some communities across mainly south-central Pennsylvania. Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information.

Latest PA drought designations:
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a Drought Watches and Warnings for several south-central Pennsylvania counties. (The NWS does not declare Drought Watches or Warnings.)

Agricultural Conditions:
0 to 100 centimeter soil moisture continues to be well below average across the Lower Susquehanna and Cumberland valleys of south-central Pennsylvania. Elsewhere, soil moisture is generally not far from average for this time of year.

Fire Hazard Impacts:
The significant wildfire potential is near average for Central Pennsylvania for the month of July 2026.

Seven Day Precipitation Forecast:
7-day rainfall is expected to generally run between one and one and a half inches, with slightly lesser amounts in north-central Pennsylvania.

8-14 Day Outlook:
The 8-14 day forecast calls for above average temperatures, while precipitation is expected to be near average. The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.

Drought Outlook:
The latest Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook predicts that the existing drought conditions will largely persist through at least September 2026. The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage.